Vehicle brake mechanism



, 1941. H. VAN DER Ho F'.

VEHICLE BRAKE MECHANISM Filed March 1'2, 193,8 2 Sheets-Sixet 1 INVENTOR HEEM -05 Hor BY I I .ATTORNEY$\.

ANUS VA 5, 7 31 H. VAN DER HOF 225L379 VEHICLE BRAKE MECHANISM.

'Filed Mrch 12) 1938 2 SheQtS -Sheet 2 FIG :3

[Ff/6 1a INVENTOR N km Patented Aug. 5,

Hermanus van der Hoi', Amsterdam, Netherlands Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,43

In Great Britain March 15, 1937 2 Claims. (Cl. 188 -795) The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to vehicle brake mechanism, particularly of the kind comprising individual brake means including a brake drumand shoes associated-with each wheel in combination with transmission means for operating such brake means mechanically or hydraulically in the manner known per se.

In .order to be able to utilize the available brake throw in. the most effective manner that is to sayin order to obtain the highest braking action with the smallest possible force, braking devices have been designed permitting of augmenting the transmission ratio. In the case of these known devices the transmission ratio increases, when the brakes are applied. Many ways have been proposed to eflect such variation in the transmission ratio by mechanical or hydrauli- 'cal means, e. g. a pump operating with diilerential pressure pistons.

However, the advantages of all such transmission ratio augmenting means can only be obtained in-practice'when the maximum--distance to be traversed by the brake shoes is kept rigidly constant, i. e. when even the smallest wear of the brake lining is automatically compensated as only in that case one can be sure at all times of a .sumciently high transmission ratio at the end ofthe-brake pedal throw to forcibly brake large masses with the relatively small'force available. Particularly'in the case of hydraulically operated vehicle brakes, even the smallest variation of the brake shoe clearance would result in a considerable enlargement of the necessary throw of the pedal or lever operating the liquid supply pump, since at this point all variations of the clearance accumulate, so that the available throw could not be used toits full extent toobtain the high transmission ratio rendered possible by the ratio augmenting means.

It has already been proposed to employ in combination with such transmission ratio augmentingmeans, such as a cam, automatically operating means for compensating the increase of the clearanee'due to" wear or the brake shoes, 1. e. for ,taking up the slack in the brake force transmitting members caused by such wear.

This measure, however, does not provide an adequate solution of the problem, as the brake shoeslof the various wheels'do not wear uniformlyl'whereas the degree of compensation of the slackfinthe brake force transmitting memhers is naturally determinedby the brake shoe whichihas'worn least, so that a uniform braking of allwhe'els with the maximum force obtainable with the transmission ratio augmenting means is not possible. Moreover in this prior proposition the adjustment of the slack in the transmission members is not strictly continuous, but stepwise, as for this adjustment pawl and ratchet devices are relied upon 50 that the maximum clearance of the brake shoes is not kept rigidly constant.

The present invention provides the true solution of the problem by employing in combination with the means for augmenting the transmission ratio, continuously operating brake adlusting means associated with each brake unit for keeping the maximum distance between each brake shoe and brake drum rigidly constant. Continuously operating brakeadjusting means of this kind are known per se so thatthe inven-- tion isto be seen in the combination thereof with the. said transmission ratio augmenting means, such combination for the first time en-.

' abling the advantages of such ratio augmenting means to be obtained to their full extent, by

each position of the complete brake mechanism ensuring a fixed transmission ratio, corresponding to such position, between the applied force I and the pressure exerted on the brake drum, the

transmission ratio in such a position being' permanent. As this is the case, the transmission ratio, bya suitable shaping of the augmenting means, maybe made to vary in such a manner that the force is always equally high. In that case a considerable portion or the force to be exerted may be supplied by a spring, accumulating part of the energy liberated by thereiease of the brake members and supp yin c energy to the brake operating members under the control of the augmenting meanaupon application of the brake shoes, this being of considerable advantage as it increases the available energy for forcibly barking very large masses.

The invention will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an 'elevational view'of a brake unit embodying automatic adjusting members, showdifferent constructional embodiments of theautomatic adjusting member as employed in a brake mechanism according to the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the transmission ratio, augmenting means embodying a spring.

' by the dotted line 2 to form fork members 2 6 embracing the cam I from the rear, an axis 2 traversing said fork members and said cam to pivotably connect said segmental element 2 to the cam -I.

To the lower edge of the segmental element l 2 there is attached, as by screws 3, a flat flexible band I, which follows the outer contour of the segmental element 2 and at its free end is pivotably attached to a brake pedal I pivoting about a an axis I of a bracket I secured to the vehicle frame. 'I'he pedal 5 is under the action of a spring b attached to a fixed part! of the vehicle frame, such spring normally tending, to draw the pedal I against a fixed stop I, in its elevated initial position.

Within the space between the opposite inner faces of the fork members 2, above the top of the cam I, lies theshank portion 8 of an arcuate forked roller carrying member 6, a roller 6 being mounted in such carrying member to freely rotate therein about an axis 6 the roller 6 engaging the suitably shaped cam face I of the cam I. The axis I projects to both sides beyond the outer face of the roller carrying member 0 and is pivotably engaged by the forked end I of a connecting rod'l, the opposite end I of'which is similarly connected to the-upper end of a lever t pivoting about an axis 8 mounted in the vehicle frame, the lower arm of the lever 8 being pivotably attached at 8 to a pressure rod 9, the

semi spherical free end- 9 of which engages the correspondingly shaped bottom face of a cupshaped plunger member ll carrying a rubber or leather cuff I0 and working in the cylinder of the usual liquid supply pump ll, against the action of a spring H arranged within the cylin der The pump has a liquid supply reservoir I l communicating with the interior of the cylinder II by an aperture II" and with the atmos phere through an opening H in a filling cap II screwed into the cover plate ll of the reservoir From the bottom end of the cylinder pressure lines I! lead to the various brake units of thevehicle, two of such connections being shown clearance between the braking surfaces, in spite only, as from these, pipes are branched oil at suitable points to lead to the remaining brake units notshown.

a The brake-unit shown in Figure ,1 comprises in the ordinary manner two brake shoes II, I3

of the supply pump ii through the pressure line i2. Liquid is supplied to the wheel cylinder Ii, upon depression of the brake pedal I, through the transmission ratio augmenting means. Upon depressing the pedal 5 the segmental element 2 under the influencerof the flexible band I is 65.

pivoted about the axis 2 of the cam I. thereby exerting a traction force upon the connecting rod 1 through the medium of the fork member 0 and the axis 8 at the same time causingthe roller ttotravelalongthecamfacel ofthecamLm The force exerted on the connecting rod I causes, through the medium of the lever I, the pressure rod vlto force the plunger ll towards'the right (in Fig. 1) of the cylinder,- against the action of the spring ll thereby closing the 4 and thus. forcing the liquid contents of the cylinder into the pressure line [2 leading to the wheel cylinder it. The contour of the cam face i is so designed that the transmission ratio of the force exerted on the brake pedal increases as the application of the brakes proceeds, as will be readily understood.

The self locking brake adjusting member ll associated with each brake shoe is is pivotably mounted on the backing plate IU of the brake -unit' and with a predetermined clearance a (Figure 2) is pivotably connected to the brake shoe ll. This clearance a, corresponding to the maximum distance between the braking faces lies in the direction in which the adjusting member functions and remains in this direction unconsidered the degree of wear of the braking surfaces.

According to one embodiment of such adjusting member (Figures 2 and 3), the same com-- prises two parts I! and I! arranged one within the other and capable of free relative movement in one direction only. In the opposite direction the two parts are coupled in a self locking manner by the provision of elements such as balls II, which by a spring 11, resting against an abutment l'l moving with the inner part I 1 are forced into the annular narrowing space formed between the cylindrical inner wall of the outer part I! and a conical'portion ll near the inner end of the part I1 As the balls I1 are permanently kept in contact with both the inner wall of the outer part l1 and the outer face of the cone l|, any relative displacement of the parts I1 and i1, even the smallest, in a direction to shorten the overall length of the adjusting member will be impossible, whereas free relative move ment in an opposite direction is always possible.

If, in applying the brakes the braking surfaces are brought into contact with one another the clearance a (e. g. 1 mm.) has gone to the left of the pin 30, i. e. as shown in the drawing. The pin 3| is in contact with the right hand side of the aperture, but does not exert a tractive force on the adjusting member. On the least wear of the braking surfaces, however, the adjusting member is extended. Upon release of the applied braking force the brake shoe is permitted to swingback about its anchor pin until the clear ance-a has again moved to the right hand side of the connecting pin II, or in other words the of the wear thereof, will be the. same as before.

for admitting or introducing additional liquid into the fluid actuation system, such as the provision of theopening II in the wall of the master cylinder communicating with the liquid supply reservoir II and governed by the master cylinder plunger ll (Figure l)' ensures the. brake pedal always starting from the same starting position.

Upon replacfementof worn brake facings it becomes necessary to return the adjusting members to their original length. To enable this. means may be provided operable from without to render the one-way coupling of the two parts of the adjusting member inoperative. Inthe embodiment shown in Figure 3' such means comprises a sleeve I1 surroimding the inner part" so that by pushing such sleeve inwardly the balls may be forced back against the action of the spring-"'II therebyenabling'the part tobe' returned into its initial podtion within the part II. Upon releasing the sleeve H" the spring I1 .initial value by screwing the two again forces the balls m into contact with the parts an and m.

- inner wall of said outer part at an acute angle thereby enabling the disc to slide freely along such inner wall in one direction and causing it to force itself against or into said well upon movement in the opposite direction, to prevent any relative movement of the'parts ll of the adjusting member 'in this latter direction. To enable the adjusting member to be returned to its original length, the inner part I1 is preferably formed as shown, of two sections the one threaded into the other enabling the total length of the adjusting member to be reduced to its sections farther into one another.

Figure 5 shows a further alternative, in which the self-locking one-way coupling is constituted by a liquid contained in a cylinder ll forming the outer part of the adjusting member the inner part of which is formed by a piston I! and rod H The portion of thecylinder containing the liquid is connected with a liquid supplyreservoir by a hole I1 governed by a nonreturn valve I'l opening in the directionof the cylinder. It will be readily understood. that upon movement of the piston in one direction-(to the left in Figure 5) causes thevalve IT to be opened inwardly and an additional quantity of liquid to be drawn into the cylinder, preventing any movement of the piston l'l in opposite direction as the liquid is incompressible and the nonreturn valve I'l prevents back flow of the liquid.

To enable the adjusting member to be returned to its initial length, the stem ll" of the non-. return valve I! may be passed through thewall of the reservoir so that the valve may be kept open from without during inward movement of the piston, allowing the excess of liquid to flow back into the reservoir.

As there is the possibility, that the adjustin member may be manufactured without the value of the clearance between lining and brake drum of the particular vehicle on which the adiustin! member will eventually be mounted, being known, it maybe advantageous to render-the clearance avariable by means of an adjusting screw I'l and nut II" as e. g. is illustrated in 26, (which may be either a tension or a compression spring), acting upon the roller 23. when applying the brakes, the roller 23 initially is only permitted a small displacement in the direction of the spring tension and therefore the spring supplies little energy only. Towards the end of A the brake throw the displacement of the roller,

23 in the direction of the spring tension increases (that is to say the transmission ratio grows) and the spring, supplies more energy. In releasing the brakes. the energy accumulated therein is liberated. and. for the greater part is taken up by the spring 26 to be again supplied to the roller 23 when applying the brakes. With this device either the operating member, e. g. the

foot, has to supply less energy, 1. e. the ,brakes may be applied with less force or larger masses may be braked with the same force. The spring 26in a sense constitutes a servo-device, in which the servo-energy is supplied once in loading the spring 26, so that this quantity of energy is alternately in the spring 26 or in the brakes.

The energy accumulated in the servo spring 26 to be used at the next braking operation is that taken up by the elastic deformation-of the brake mechanism during the actual braking action; this energy is supplied by the brake mechthe embodiment shownin Figure 5. It will be understood that the other embodiments may of course also be provided with means for varying the clearance a.

In the'modifled form of. the transmission ratio augmenting means, shown in Figure 6, ll represents the lever operating the pump. The lever II is connected at I! to the brake pedalm through the medium of a link 2|, such brake pedal carrying a pivotable link 22 having at its free end a roller 23 rotatably mounted thereon.

this roller being constrained to move along the face 24 of.a fixed cam 25 of suitable design to varythe on ratio in a manner to keep the force to be supplied of uniform strength. According to the inventiom the work to be performed at the point of of the tlwiththciever ll ispartly simpliedbyasprlng anism itself and not by the brake release springs.

What I claim isz' 1. In a hydraulic brake system for vehicles and the like-having an operator-actuated member, a

brake drum having a plurality of internal pivotally mounted brake shoes, a fluid brake cylinder to actuate said shoes into contact with the interior periphery of said brake drum, 9. central reservoir and pump, a fluid connection from said pump to said brake cylinder and operating connections between said actuated member and said pump including a device for increasing the force ratio upon actuation of said member by the operator, continuously operating automatically controlled compensating means for each brake shoe for maintaining the lost motion of the'pump piston constant, mounted between the brake shoe and the backing plate, comprising a thrust member slidable within a cylinder, a sharp .edged resilient disk like blocking element mounted onsaid thrust member, said resilient disk being adapted to move freely with said thrust member along the inner wall of said cylinder in one direction, but in the opposite direction forcing it- :pump including a device for increasing the force ratio upon actuation of said member by the ope'rator, continuously operating automatically controlled compensating means for each brake shoe for maintaining the lost motion of the pump piston rigidly constant, and a spring member, so connected into the brake system as to be able to accumulate therein most of the energy liberated upon release of the brakes, and, upon again applying the brakes, to transmit such energyto the brakes through the device for increasing the force ratio.

i van. on HOP. 

